Rachael Thomas

[The Economy, February 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years under the current Prime Minister, we live in a country where parents are actually watering down their baby formula in order to make ends meet and seniors are turning down their thermostats or choosing to skip meals in order to be able to pay their bills.

The Liberals continue to shrug their shoulders and say they are not responsible. When asked about the carbon tax, a Liberal MP quipped, “There needs to be a bit of pain there. That's the point”. I guess the Liberals are achieving their goal.

Canadians are definitely feeling the pain. A young mother recently came into my office and shared with me that when she opens her home heating bill, it feels like a gut punch. She has to choose between properly feeding her family and paying the bill.

Canadians are out of money and cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves. They are without hope and living in a broken Canada.

Canadians deserve a brand new government that will put control back in their hands. Conservatives will keep the heat on and take the tax off.

[Carbon Pricing, February 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, that is the answer of a government that is entirely out of touch with the needs of Canadians and the pain they are truly feeling in this country right now.

Another constituent of mine came in and joked that to get from A to B in Canada, B now stands for “broke”. What he was talking about was the need to be able just to get to work and the skyrocketing cost that has ensued there, as well as the need to feed the family and heat the home. These costs have gone up because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax.

Once again, when will the Prime Minister finally wake up to the reality that is out there, that Canadians are truly experiencing pain, and when will the Prime Minister decide to keep the heat on by taking the tax off?

[Carbon Pricing, February 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister's carbon tax, Canadians continue to struggle. They continue to struggle to be able to heat their homes, to be able to feed their families, to be able to commute to work. After eight years, things are not looking better.

Recently, a 70-year-old woman came into my office with her heating bill in her hand and tears down her face because she cannot afford it. She has turned her thermostat down to 17°C. It is -36°C outside.

My question is very simple: Why will the government not show a little compassion and take the tax off so that Canadians can keep the heat on?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2023]

With regard to expenditures by the government on subscriptions and data access services in the 2021-22 fiscal year, broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation or other government entity: (a) what is the total amount spent; and (b) what are the details of each expenditure, including the (i) vendor, (ii) amount, (iii) date, (iv) description of goods or services, (v) titles of publications or data for each subscription, (vi) file number?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2023]

With regard to the usage of artificial intelligence (Al) by the government: (a) which departments, agencies, Crown corporations, or other government entities currently use Al; (b) what specific tasks is Al used for; (c) what are the details of all expenditures on commercial Al technology and related products since January 1, 2019, including, for each, the (i) vendor, (ii) amount, (iii) description of products or services, including the quantity, if applicable, (iv) date of the purchase, (v) file number; and (d) what is the government's policy regarding the use of Al?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 30th, 2023]

With regard to repayable grants and contributions provided by the government where the recipient of the grant failed to repay the government as per the terms of the agreement, since 2017, broken down by year and by funding program: (a) for how many grant and contribution agreements has there been a failure to repay; (b) what is the total value of such grants and contributions; and (c) what are the details of the top 10 highest valued grant and contribution agreements for each program where the recipient failed to repay the government, broken down by year, including, for each, the (i) recipient, (ii) amount of grant or contribution, (iii) reason why the recipient did not live up to the terms of the agreement, if known?

[Finance, December 9th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, this is the problem with the Liberals: They make excuse after excuse. They are spending a whole lot of money to accomplish a whole lot of nothing. At the end of the day, it is Canadians who pay the bill.

The cost of living is going up. Meanwhile, the government has no problem spending. Canadians are facing inflation at a 40-year record high, grocery prices have skyrocketed and 20% of Canadians are forced to skip meals. Meanwhile, those across the way continue to chat with one another and maybe even laugh in mockery. Twenty per cent of Canadians are forced to skip meals, 1.5 million Canadians are going to a food bank—

[Finance, December 9th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, Canadians were advised by the Deputy Prime Minister that they should cut their Disney+ accounts in order to help them make ends meet. Meanwhile, the government has no problems spending $6,000 on a single hotel night, $54 million on a failed arrive scam app and, more recently, $32 billion on altogether illegitimate or suspicious funding with regard to COVID. The worst part is that Canadians are actually on the hook for all this spending, the Canadian people, who work incredibly hard.

When will the Liberals show them some respect and stop their wasteful spending?

[Business of Supply, December 8th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am baffled as to why members of the NDP are consistently supportive of the Liberals. It is really interesting to watch, actually, because on one side of their face, they support the Liberals and all they do, and on the other side, they go after them. What is going on here? They should just make up their minds.

I would invite the member to truly be an opposition member and hold the government to account.

[Business of Supply, December 8th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I fail to see the relevance. I recognize that to the member, that was an important question with regard to health care transfers. However, the topic of conversation today is the carbon tax and the government's mismanagement of the economy. It also has to do with the cost to Canadians.

Where I would perhaps find some commonality with the member is in the notion that indeed Canadians are in a really tight spot right now in trying to make ends meet, and they certainly need to be helped. One of the best ways to help them is by removing the carbon tax and other penalizing policies, including the printing of money, and by helping to put faith back in the Canadian people.